Woody Cain

Despite an agreement in the Senate to end the government shutdown, air travel will still be slowed with cancellations and delays expected to escalate this week as the Federal Aviation Administration struggles with a shortage of air traffic controllers. At Charlotte Douglas, 150 flights were cancelled Saturday — the highest for any airport in the nation. On Monday, Charlotte is showing 49 flights cancelled and 35 more delayed, as of 9 am. Airport officials are encouraging travelers to stay in touch with their airline for updates and arrive at the terminal even earlier than normal.

For the first time since the 1970s, Johnson C. Smith will play for the CIAA football championship. The Golden Bulls beat Livingstone over the weekend to reach the title game. They’ll face defending champion Virginia Union Saturday at 3 p.m. in Durham.

Just when it looked like the Carolina Panthers had turned the corner with a big win against a good team last week, they crashed back to earth on Sunday, losing 17-7 at home to the New Orleans Saints who were 1-8 coming in. Quarterback Bryce Young was frustrated after throwing for just over 100 yards with an interception.

Cabarrus County Commissioner Lynn Shue has died after lengthy health challenges. The former Cabarrus School Board chairman has served as a county commissioner since 2014. He had received two life-saving organ transplants and was undergoing treatment when some county commissioners tried to appoint Lamarie Austin-Stripling to a vacant seat on the board in April, but a court blocked the move.

A manufacturing plant in McAdenville is announcing plans to shut down and lay off nearly 300 workers. According to a state filing, New Jersey-based Mannington Mills will shut down its Gaston County carpet manufacturing plant on Dec. 27. The company is citing a “continual decline in demand and unfavorable market conditions.”

It's been six years since there was this much hope surrounding the Carolina Panthers. That was the last time the team stood at 5-4 on the season and they got there on Sunday via a last-second field goal by rookie Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to beat the Green Bay Packers 16-13 who had the top record in the conference before the game. Defensive lineman Derrick Brown said the Panthers are becoming a team that’s not just an easy time for opponents."We've been looked at for so long as a team where people say they're gonna just come in and get an automatic win. So for us to come out here, be competing down to the wire, this is what we do, this is what we want, right? This is the culture that Dan and Dave all top down, this is what they bought in, and you know this is what they want to instill in us so we can be able to execute in the game. So I mean, like we said today after the game, man, all we all we need is us and be able to go out and execute and do what we do," he said. Running back Rico Dowdle had another big game, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Charlotte FC survived a must-win match against New York City on Saturday to earn a decisive game 3 at home in the Major League Soccer Playoffs with a shootout win. Charlotte goal keeper Kristijan Kahlina said he expects another intense match. "We play home. I know that our crowd will be behind us. We have big advantage and even for us, we have some bigger experience from last year," he said. Kickoff at Bank of America is at 7 pm Friday.

More than 63,000 Mecklenburg County voters cast early ballots ahead of Election Day Tuesday. Election officials say that’s up about 50% compared to the municipal election in 2023.

Charlotte FC struggled on a wet, cold evening at Bank of America Stadium and lost game 1 of the best-of-three series to New York City 1-nil on Tuesday. Team captain Ashley Westwood said a sluggish start doomed Charlotte.

A new poll from Winthrop University shows congresswoman Nancy Mace and Lt. Governor Pam Evette leading the pack in the race to become South Carolina’s next Governor. It finds the duo in a statistical tie among Republican registered voters over congressman Ralph Norman and state Attorney General Alan Wilson.Mace is at about 17%, Evette is at 16%, Norman and Wilson are both at about 8% and Kimbrell is just over 3%. State Senator Josh Kimbrel is a distant fifth. More than 46% say they’re still undecided in the November 2026 election.